Hello, asking PM to leave is not toppling gov’t
Cops warn Bersih against rally to ‘topple gov’t’
It certainly isn’t about toppling the government but specifically about free and fair elections and asking PM Najib Abdul Razak to stand down.
Can’t you see what is happening around you or don’t you care for this country as much as we the people do?
Be at Bersih 4.0 to ensure no agent provocateurs come to stir up trouble. For goodness sake, the police exist to protect the people and uphold the law. So just do what you’re supposed to do.
Shithappens: Bersih’s demands are: (1) clean government (2) fair elections (3) return parliamentary democracy (4) save the economy and (5) right to dissent.
If this is considered dangerous, we might as well add two more to the list: (1) salt and (2) mineral water bottles.
Ferdtan: From what I read, the DIGP Noor Rashid has tacitly given full permission for Bersih 4 to be held.
Forget what he said about the overthrowing the government; what is really important here is that he gave the nod on behalf of the police.
He even said that if the rally is peaceful and posed no problem to the public, the police would not intervene.
That is good news. Bersih rallies in the past were never violent. They went wrong at the late stage of the rallies because of unnecessary police intervention to arrest protestors with brute force.
We hope that IGP Khalid Ibrahim who said that he had not received any letter of notification regarding the gathering, would respect his deputy and not cause a problem by ordering the event cancelled, under the pretext of maintaining order (whatever that may mean).
MTU: The gathering is to have a corrupt prime minister step down. How does kicking the prime minister out construe a change of government?
Visu: Noor Rashid, can you please clarify which section of the law says “rallying to overthrow the government” is unlawful?
Nil: Make arrests only when the fall of the government has occurred. Just as a “threat to slap someone” is no crime, a rally to topple a government is not a crime because the government is still there.
Paul Warren: We have had four prime ministers resign of their own accord, of being forced out, played out, back stabbed, whatever you may call it, and no government was toppled.
So if Bersih 4 includes the call for Najib to resign how is that to be a toppling of a government?
Hang Babeuf: Well, Bersih insists that it is not about toppling the government – only to uphold and strengthen, to reform and clean up, parliamentary democracy.
We shall see if they, the Bersih leadership, can “hold the line” on that – and keep all the crazies and agents provocateurs in line, under control.
In order to navigate the perilous political rapids ahead, Bersih will have to say, officially (as well as directly and repeatedly to the police) over and over again, between now and Aug 29:
1. We are calling for, and organising nothing more, than a peaceful and orderly demonstration. Anyone who tries to go beyond that will be doing so as an “agent provocateur” – not at our bidding but against our explicit directives.
2. We are not seeking “to topple the government” or parliamentary democracy.
3. We are asking the premier to stand down and to submit his fate to parliamentary judgment and decision under a “free conscience vote” of all directly elected members of parliament on the floor of the Dewan Rakyat – in accordance and consistent with internationally recognised democratic conventions and procedures.
Kawak: Indeed, how can asking for our rights to voice our concerns for the country and the replacement of the premier be overthrowing the government? The protesters do not have weapons and guns to create chaos.
Time for Change: Noor Rashid, at his age, doesn’t understand the aim of Bersih 4.0. The aim is to make Najib resign by peaceful means and not topple the government.
JD Lovrenciear: You know, it’s like saying, “Yes, you can eat” and then holding back the food that carries a label in fine print saying, “Only if I give it to you.”
Why can’t the police instead say, “We will be on duty to safeguard your peaceful assembly and if we spot any troublemakers, do not fear, our men will haul them up and nip the trouble in time?”
Eyespye: Are you tired of the government telling you what you can, or cannot do, to influence the destiny of this country? I know I am.
With all legal and official impediments in the way of real change, of real hope, I sometimes wonder how anything can get better.
They say Umno is like a wolf, now backed into the corner and fighting for survival. I think Umno should understand that the people are also like wolves now, backed into the corner and fighting for their lives.
They tell us not to test their resolve. They should not test ours.
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